Actuator



April 28, 1964 A. BERRESHEIM ETAL ACTUATOR Filed Aug. 20, 1962 76 60 1253 63 ffi J INVENTO RS Alexander Berreshe/m 7 Alfred Eder By 71% M4 ZLW/ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,130,943 ACTUATUR Alexander Berresheim,Ottobrunn, near Munich, and

Alfred Eder, Munich, Germany, assignors to Military- EntwicidungenKommanditgesellschaft, Munich, Germany, a firm of Germany Filed Aug. 26,1962, Ser. No. 218,648 Claims priority, application Germany Aug. 22,1961 8 Claims. (Cl. 244-4-2) This invention relates in general toactuating means for control surfaces of flying bodies and in particularto a new and useful magnetically actuated spoiler construction and to animproved actuator therefor.

The present invention is particularly applicable in respect to flyingbodies having spoilers which are employed for controlling the path ofsuch flying bodies at high speeds and where it is essential that thespoilers operate with very short switching time. It has been known tomove spoilers with the armature of an electromagnet, but knownarrangements of this kind employ electromagnetic means to moverelatively large masses and a constant magnetic reversal occurs in themagnetic circuit during actuation. The mass inertia and the losses whichoccur during the magnetic reversal delay the rapid deflection ormovement of the spoiler.

In accordance with the present invention, an actuator for a spoiler isprovided and an improved spoiler mounting provides for the rapidmovement of the spoiler and shortening of the reversal time of operationthereof.

In accordance with a preferred arrangement, a coil is movably mounted ina magnetic field and it is mechanically connected with the spoiler. Thewinding of the coil is actuated by current pulses of adjustable pulsetime and current direction. In the arrangement of the invention, themovable masses are kept very small and the losses resulting frommagnetic reversal are eliminated since the exciting magnetic fieldmaintains its direction.

In a preferred arrangement, the movable coil is coaxially arranged inthe air gap of a pot magnet andvis movably mounted in an axialdirection. For this purpose, the coil is advantageously wound on a coilbody which is rigidly connected with a spoiler. The coil body may beconnected via a centering joint with the potshaped magnet which hasparallelly arranged diametrically opposite slots which accommodateportions of the spoiler. Around the pot magnet guide means are providedfor axial movement of the coil body without rotation thereof.

In a preferred arrangement, the coil body is situated in acornmon'branch of two circuits, which branch is alternately charged witha current of opposing directions.

' In a further modification of the invention, one of the ends of theWinding is connected between poles of different polarity of two D.-C.current sources, while the other end of the winding is connected to thecollector of a first output transistor, the latter being connected withthe emitter of a second output transistor of the same con ductivitytype. The emitter of the first transistor and the collector of thesecond transistor are switched with opposing poles of the two D.-C.current sources which are not connected with each other, and whichcorrespond to the conductivity type of transistors. The basis lines ofthe two transistors are supplied with a control voltage whichalternatively switches one or the other transistor for ICC currentpassage or flow. Parallel to the emitter and collector path of eachtransistor there is provided a voltage divider which may advantageouslybe switched to provide a control voltage for the associated transistor.

According to a further modification of the invention, the transistor isswitched or applied to the control voltage by means of a relay of smallchangeover delay, while the basis of the other transistor is switched toa voltage which blocks this transistor.

Accordingly, it'is an object of this invention to provide an improvedmagnetically actuated control.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spoiler operatingcontrol which includes a movable coil situated in a magnetic field andwhich is adapted to be mechanically connected with a spoiler, andelectric current means exciting the coil by current pulses of adjustablepulse length in current direction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mounting for a spoilerand improved means for deflecting the spoiler for control purposes whichincludes a movable coil element connected to the spoiler which ismounted for axial displacement around a pot type magnet disposedcentrally thereof and including means for energizing the coil withcurrent pulses of adjustable pulse length and direction.

A further object of the invention is to provide an actuator for aspoiler and the like which is simple in design, rugged in constructionand economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use,reference should be had to the accompanying drawing and descriptivematter in which there is illustrated and described a preferredembodiment of the invention.

The only figure of the drawing is a fragmentary perspective of a wing ofa flying body with a spoiler thereon actuated by an improved magneticactuator, the electrical circuit for a movable coil of the actuatorbeing indicated schematically.

Referring to the drawing in particular, the invention embodied thereinincludes a wing 1 of a flying body which contains a magneticallyactuated spoiler which in the embodiment illustrated comprises asubstantially rectangular plate 6. While the spoiler is indicated inasso ciation with the wing 1, it should be appreciated that it may beemployed with other aerodynamically acting surfaces of a flying body.

A pot-shaped magnet 3 is secured to the wing structure by means of aspa-r or girder 2 connected to the Wing by means of spacers 4 and 5. Hespoiler 6, which in the embodiment indicated has been moved downwardly,reciprocates within slots i l and 12 of the wing 1. The spoiler isformed from leaves or small plates 7 and 8 which are connected togetherby overlapping plates or flaps 9 by cans of screws ill. The spoiler 6has a recess 16 adiacent the central portion thereof which accommodatesthe pot-shaped magnet 3. The spoiler is slidably mounted on a centralbushing or bearing 1-3 which is carried on a push rod 19, the latterbeing slotted at its ends and rigidly connected with the spoiler 6. Thecylindrical member or sleeve 20 which surrounds the push rod 19 isdisposed in an axial bore 2d of the magnet 3.

The spoiler plate is provided with tour rectangularly spaced openings 26into which there extends elongated guide tabs or elements 114 whichprevent the rotation of the spoiler about the longitudinal axis of therod 19. The tabs 14 also prevent the bending of the spoiler in the airflow when it is employed for control purposes. An end of each of thetabs 14 is provided with elongated recesses 23 which embrace projections24 of a bar 25 which is mounted between the spacers '4 and 5. The otherend of the tabs 14 is guided through the openings 26 of the spoilerplate 6 and anchored on the exterior thereof by means of T-shapedprojections 27 formed at the ends.

In the embodiment shown, the magnet 3 comprises a core 28 and a flangeportion 29 at the upper end thereof. In addition, the magnet is providedwith an inner jacket formed as a U-shaped extension at the lower end ofthe core 28 and designated St The inner jacket 3% is secured on ashoulder '33 of the core 28 at the location of an inwardly projectingflange portion 32. In addition, the magnet 3 has an outer jacket 31which extends downwardly from the outer periphery of the flange 29 andforms the exterior wall of the magnet. An exciter winding 35 is arrangedon the core 28 and it is energized through electrical connections 99 and9d. The exciter winding may be divided and in so doing a portion of itswinding can 'be energized by the same current as the movable winding d7in a manner to be described more fully hereinafter. In this manner,compensations can be made for the variations or fluctuations of thestatic exciter field, which variations may be caused by the currentwhich flows in the winding 17. The cxciter Winding 35 is ell-minatedwhen the magnet 3 is a permanent magnet. In the embodiment in which themagnet '3 is a permanent magnet, the elements including the core 28, thejacket so and the outer wall 31 are produced as a single element.

The magnet 3 has side slots 36 and 37 at the top and bottom thereof intowhich slots the spoiler 6 is fitted at the location of the edges 38 and39.

Up and down movement of the spoiler 6, as viewed in the drawing, isimparted by means of a winding generally designated 16 which includes acoil of wire 17 wound around a cylindrical body 77. The body 77 hasslots 46 and 411 which permit the edges 38, 39 of the spoiler to enterthereinto. The winding body is mounted in the air gap 15 formed betweenthe magnet elements 34) and 31. The body is urged upwardly anddownwardly into and out of the magnetic field of the magnet 3 when itswinding 17 is supplied with a D.-C. current. The direction of the D.-C.current determines the direction of movement of the winding body 77.

In order to produce rapid deflection of the spoiler plate 6 the winding17 and the body 77 are supplied with direct current which is poled in areverse manner in rapid exchange or alteration and the pulse time periodis controllable in each current direction. Such control is accomplishedby means of a generator (not shown) which is switched at the eXciterclamps 71 and 72 of a relay 70. The relay responds with an inertia whichis relatively small with respect to the required deflection period. Therelay 70 actuates contacts 74 and 75 via its armature 73. The reversingcontacts 74 and 75 are connected with the bases 58 and 62, respectively,of two equal or similar transistors 59 and 63 of the pup type. Thecollector 56 of the transistor 59 is connected with the emitter 60 ofthe other transistor 63 and with the end 51 of the Winding 17, the otherend 50 of which is connected to the poles '2 and 53 of two D.-C. currentsources, such as batteries 54, 55. The batteries are connected togetherwith the positive pole of one connected to the negative pole of theother. The positive pole 64 of one of the D.-C. current batteries 54 isconnected with the emitter 57 of the first transistor 59 while thenegative pole 65 of the other D.-C. source 55 is connected with thecollector d1 of the other transistor 63. Therefore, two circuitsindicated I and I are formed. The first circuit 1; leads from the pluspole 64- of one of the two D.-C. current sources 54 by way of theemitter 57 and the collector 56 of the first transistor 59 to one end ofthe winding 17. The other end of the winding 17 leads to theinterconnected dissimilar poles 52 and 53 of the two D.-C. currentsources 54 and '55. The other circuit I leads from the positive pole 53of the D.-C. current source 55' via the winding 17, the emitter 6t andthe collector 6d of the other transistor 63 to the negative pole 65 ofthe other D-C. current source 55. Thus, the winding 17 forms in thismanner a common branch 76 of the two circuits and is suppliedalternatively from the oppositely directed currents. The transistors 59and 63 act as electronic switches to open and close the circuits I and Iassociated therewith so that the bases 58 and re are supplied via thereversal contacts 74 and 75 of the relay 79 alternatively with theirvoltage. The voltage blocks one or" the transistors while it switchesthe other for current flow. In the blocking position the base of one ofthe transistors 59 or 63 is always switched tor emitter potential whilein the flow position it is switched for negative potential. The voltagewhich is negative relative to the emitter is produced at two voltagedividers 68 and 69 or" which each is situated parallel to the emitter 57or 65 and the collector 56 or 61 of one of the transistors and is tappedat 66 and 67 of the voltage dividers 68, 69.

The electrical circuit described above is easily accommodated within thesmall space requirements of a flying body and is preferably arranged oraccommodated in the vicinity of the magnet 3 in the wing 1 or in thefuselage of a flying body. Instead of a relay 70, it is sometimesdesirable to employ an electronic switch which takes over thefunctioning of the relay.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the inventiveprinciples, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A magnetically actuated spoiler for controlling flying bodies of highvelocity, characterized by a coil which is movably mounted in a magneticfield, said coil being mechanically connected with a spoiler and havinga winding, and means for actuating said winding by current pulses ofadjustable pulse length and current direction.

2. A magnetically actuated spoiler according to claim 1, including abody rigidly connected to said spoiler, said coil being wound on saidbody.

3. A magnetically actuated spoiler according to claim 1, wherein saidmeans for directing current through said coil includes separate D.-C.current supplies connected together at opposite poles and said polesbeing connected to the one end of said coil, a first and a secondtransistor of the same conductivity type, the collector of the firsttransistor and the emitter of the second transistor being connected tothe other end of said coil, the emitter of the first transistor and thecollector of the second transistor being connected to said D.-C. currentsources at poles of different polarity, respectively, the bases of saidtransistors being supplied with a control voltage which alternatelyswitches one or the other of said transistors for current passagethrough said coil.

4. A magnetically actuated spoiler according to claim 3, including avoltage divider connected parallel to the emitter collector path of eachtransistor, the control voltage for the associated transistor beingtapped therefrom.

5. A magnetically actuated spoiler according to claim 4, including relaymeans for switching said transistors to the control voltage.

6. A control device for a flying body including a control surface, aspoiler plate mounted on said control surface and being movable toproject therefrom for control purposes, a magnet mounted in said controlsurface adjacent said spoiler plate, a movable member in the field ofsaid magnet connected to said spoiler plate, a coil arranged on saidmovable member, and means for actuating said coil by current pulses ofadjustable pulse length and current direction.

7. A control device according to claim 6, wherein said magnet is a pottype magnet arranged centrally of said movable member, said member beingmounted for axial movement around said magnet, said spoiler beingdisposed around said member and connected thereto for movementtherewith.

8. A control device according to claim '6, wherein said means foractuating said coil includes first and second transistor circuitsconnected to said coil, separate energy sources energizing said circuitsfor current flow through said coil in a particular direction, and relaymeans for switching said circuits to said coil for energizing said coilfor current flow in -a selected direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,750,961 Uritis June 10, 1956 2,754,921 Dinsmore July 17, 19562,768,801 Bitner Oct. 30, 195-6 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,123,920 Germany 'Feb.15, 1962

1. A MAGNETICALLY ACTUATED SPOILER FOR CONTROLLING FLYING BODIES OF HIGHVELOCITY, CHARACTERIZED BY A COIL WHICH IS MOVABLY MOUNTED IN A MAGNETICFIELD, SAID COIL BEING MECHANICALLY CONNECTED WITH A SPOILER AND HAVINGA WINDING, AND MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID WINDING BY CURRENT PULSES OFADJUSTABLE PULSE LENGTH AND CURRENT DIRECTION.